Teacher layoffs not as bad as anticipated with 29 layoffs and retirements in Lambton-Kent

The layoffs at the Lambton-Kent District School Board won’t be as bad as anticipated.

But there will be 29 fewer teachers in the classrooms come September.

In May, the board issued layoff notices to 110 teachers – 52 elementary school teachers and 59 high school teachers. The board, in a news release Wednesday, says after reviewing the PC government’s technical funding documents it has been able to recall 82 teachers. Officials say there will be 11 teachers in the elementary panel who will not be recalled and 18 secondary school teachers. Some, officials say, will retire and not be replaced. It’s unclear how many teachers will be laid off.

Premier Doug Ford said no teacher would “involuntarily” lose their jobs because of increasing class sizes implemented by his government. The government set up a $1.6 billion fund to prevent layoffs which the Lambton-Kent board did access.

“We understand these are challenging times,” says Board Chair Jane Bryce in a news release. “Based on the funding reductions, changes to class sizes and declining enrolment, we know that schools may be staffed differently than previous years. As we continue to work through our staffing and budgeting processes, we remain committed to providing and maintaining supports for students in schools.”

But she added the changes implemented by the Ford government will result in fewer teachers in the schools.

And officials say rural schools will be particularly hard hit by the funding changes and the reduction in the number of teachers in the system.